Tuberculosis

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

The WHO released the Global TB Report 2022 which took into account the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the diagnosis, treatment and burden of disease for TB all over the world.

• India’s TB incidence for the year 2021 is 210 per 100,000 population – compared to the baseline year of 2015 (incidence was 256 per lakh population in India).
• There has been an 18% decline which is 7 percentage points better than the global average of 11%.

Report Findings

• According to the WHO report an estimated 10.6 million people fell ill with tuberculosis (TB) in 2021, an increase of 4.5% from 2020, and 1.6 million people died from TB (including 187 000 among HIV positive people). 
• The organisation’s 2022 Global TB report added that the burden of drug-resistant TB (DR-TB) also increased by 3% between 2020 and 2021, with 450 000 new cases of rifampicin-resistant TB (RR-TB) in 2021.
• First time in many years an increase has been reported in the number of people falling ill with TB and drug resistant TB. 
• TB services are among many others disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021.

Indian Context

• While the COVID-19 pandemic impacted TB Programmes across the world.
• India was able to successfully offset the disruptions caused, through the introduction of critical interventions in 2020 and 2021 – 
• This led to the National TB Elimination Programme notifying over 21.4 lakh TB cases – 18% higher than 2020.
• The TB Programme’s nutrition support scheme – Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana – has proved critical for the vulnerable.
•  Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan was launched in India to provide additional nutritional support to those on TB treatment, through contributions from community including individuals and organisations.